Tag Archives: Measure Z Oversight Committee

An email sent to the City of Wildomar on Monday morning details the condition of our parks as they were on a beautiful Sunday morning. This email was sent to the City Manager, Gary Nordquist, Councilman Ben Benoit, 1st Distric, Councilman Dustin Nigg, 2nd Distrct, Councilman Timothy Walker, 3rd District, Councilwoman Bridgette Moore, 4th District, Councilwoman Marsha Swanson, 5th District.
It was also sent to the members of the Measure Z Oversight Advisory Committee members, Sheila Urlaub, Doug Ames, Scott Rux, Shelley Hitchcock and Steve Regalado. Three of those emails were returned as undeliverable. A look at the City of wildomar parks website shows it has not been updated in at least 9 months.

The following conditions were noted during a walk thru of the parks on Sunday morning March 18, 2018

Windsong Park
The restroom facility was filthy

The gate on the southwest corner was broken

The fence on the northwest corner has been cut allowing access to the Creek Garden area

The electrical box on the west fence, near the Creek Garden is bent and has been for months.

Marna O’Brien Park
Automobiles have been driven on the fields during the evening, park cameras should be used to identify the culprits. This city has on two occasions gotten quotes for gates to secure the parking lot at night, these parking lot gates should be installed.

The restroom plumbing is still taped together, and has been for months, resulting in an unsightly appearance.

The drinking fountain, installed as a scout project, does not work and hasn’t in over a month

The “Freedom Swing” is still locked, even after the city spent $31,000 to re-install it 2 years ago.

Regency Heritage Park
Two swings remain missing, the two that remain still have no safety harnesses. In a city with a total of 7 swings to have 5 out of commission is unconscionable.

The drainage for the tot lot still has not been fixed.

Anchor supports for the chain ladder nearest the ADA ramp are exposed creating a safety hazard.

Basketball hoop still bent, has been since April 2014, nets in disrepair.

BBQ missing, has been since April 2014

New plants in area with broken sprinkler

For this the residents of this town more than $350,000 to maintain our parks in this condition.

On February 11, 2017 I wrote an article about the poor condition of the City’s ball fields.

In that article was a video of a gentleman pumping out water from the first and third base area.

Early last week the city attempted a poor fix for this flooding by bringing in material of unknown origin (the origin will be known and reported when the city pays the invoice). This material was used to fill-in what was deemed the low spots, therefore the problem, around 1st and 3rd base.

Today after approximately 0.50 (one-half inch) of rain in a 12 hour period the flooding is back only worse as it has spread further into the infield.

The problem is a result of no maintenance on these infields since the city took over the parks from the county. These fields need to be laser-screed to ensure the water flows away from the infield. This process will require that the drainage swales are not higher than the ball fields.

This poor state of maintenance extends to all three fields currently in the one city park.

This city also needs to eliminate the gophers before someone breaks their leg.

The property owners of Wildomar need to check their property tax bill to ensure they paid the proper amount for Measure Z Parks Tax.Notice the Measure Z Tax which is $14.00 per installment or $28.00 Annually

Unbeknownst to the Measure Z Oversight Committee which has never questioned whether the proper amounts have been billed and collected, some properties are being bill and improper amount.

Notice the improper amount of tax on this property tax bill, it totals $33.00 Annually

A responsibility of the Measure Z Oversight Advisory Committee can be found in the City of Wildomar Municipal Code Section 3.18.060 Oversight committee.By no later than March 1, 2013, the City Council shall establish a Wildomar Community Parks Funding Measure Citizen’s Oversight Advisory Committee to advise the City Council regarding the collection and expenditure of tax revenues collected under the authority of this chapter. The Committee shall consist of at least five members, who shall be residents of the City. The terms of the Committee members and their specific duties shall be established by resolution of the City Council. (Ord. 71 § 1, 2012)
The question asked when the voters approved the Measure Z Parcel Tax can be found in Resolution 2012-38:

These responsibilities are further expounded upon in Resolution 2013-37 Exhibit A
Role, Responsibilities and Duties
The responsibilities and duties of the committee shall be limited to:
3. Understand municipal revenue collection and distribution from local, state and federal sources
Per City of Wildomar Municipal Code 3.18.080 Special tax.Commencing as of July 1, 2013 and continuing annually thereafter, there is imposed a tax on all parcels in the City for the privilege of using community park and community park related facilities, programs and services and the availability of such facilities, programs and services. The maximum tax rate imposed hereby shall not exceed $28.00 per parcel per year. For purposes of this chapter, “parcel” means a unit of real estate in the City as shown on the most current official assessment roll of the Riverside County Assessor. (Ord. 71 § 1, 2012)

In the haste to satisfy their financial obligation many people just pay their taxes without looking closely at the detail. Now is the time before the next installment is due to look at the details and make sure you are paying only what you should be paying.

If the amount on your tax bill is incorrect please e-mail your councilperson and ask why? With the Measure Z Oversight Committee in place to protect your interest how can this happen.

Santa’s Dough has disappeared like Santa up the chimney right along with the Measure Z Annual Report.

It appears that the Measure Z Oversight Committee’s reviewing of the the funds collected during the Breakfast with Santa starting in 2013 has come to an end, this along with preparing the Measure Z Annual Report.

During the February 2016 Oversight Committees meeting Agenda Item #2.2 Special Events several events will no longer be funded with funds from the Measure Z Parcel Tax, amongst them is Breakfast with Santa (a co-event with the Rotary Club)
Wildomar Night at Storm Stadium (a co-event with the Chamber of Commerce) and Drive-in-Movie (a co-event with Wildomar Little League). These events will now be funded through the Wildomar General Fund. Good luck keeping track of that money.

This still leaves the question of what happened to the original $4.000 budgeted for the 2016-17 as shown in the 1st Quarter Report.

In the Mid-Year Report this $4,000 has disappeared from the Revenue Summary: Breakfast with Santa (a category that no longer exist) and has been switch to the Revenue Summary: Special Event Revenue which had no budget listed.

Finally, the Measure Z Annual Report is usually reviewed, approved and forwarded to the City Council during the January February meeting. This year the last mention of this report was during September 8, 2016 meeting item #2.2 Annual Report Writing Process wherein “It was the consensus of the Committee to prepare the Annual Report from the Committee to the City Council.”

Your privacy and the privacy of your children may be violated at Windsong Park, when some unsuspecting person stops by to use the facilities, as the lock on the portable restroom is missing (like gone)

Your health may also be in jeopardy as the hand sanitizer dispenser is also broken and laying about.

So much for daily maintenance that is costing $4,500.00 a month ($150 a day) we had better service when we paid $850.00 a month ($28.33 a day) to a small company

Mother Nature, on Christmas Eve, did what the city has failed to do. She has started dismantling one of the dead trees found in its smallest park.
A number of these dead trees were highlighted in a previous blog.

This picture taken on Christmas Day after being notified the tree was missing a portion of its top.

The fallen debris

Picture of the same tree, the middle tree, taken in June of 2016 about the time the Measure Z Oversight Advisory Committee was doing it’s annual assessment, wherein not a single member made mention of the condition of the trees. All of the Fremont Cottonwood Trees, except one in what is referred to as the Creek Garden, appear to be suffering from some sort of malady

The following was brought up, in part, at the wildomar City Council meeting of December 14, 2016. My Public Comments were apparently deemed inappropriate for a local blogger as my comments must have hit the cutting room floor. Included at the end of this article are my Public Comments in there entirety from my notes.

Since the Measure Z Oversight Committee was charged with looking after the collections starting with the Breakfast with Santa 2013 that responsibility has been waning.

(The comingling of revenues raised by this event was questioned since the beginning with city staff and the city manager expressing their opinion that this was appropriate).

This event had been held at Wildomar’s Fire Station 61 since 1979 with volunteer firefighters making the pancakes. The station was always working with various community leaders and groups to come up with different fundraisers to help offset the costs of up-grading and purchasing new state-of-the-art equipment needed in helping save lives and property. In 2004 they served about 300 residents to raise money to replace its out-dated emergency squad vehicle. A new one would have cost about $80,000.http://myvalleynews.com/local/spark-of-love-toy-drive-to-aid-needy-families/

Today this event is monitored by the MEASURE Z OVERSIGHT ADVISORY COMMITTEE. This is made clear by the following statement:

The Special Event revenues reflect the Breakfast with Santa event wherein the City partnered with the Rotary Club.

The above line is found in the Measure Z Oversight and Advisory Committee Annual Report for FY13-14 on page 15 of the report found at: http://www.cityofwildomarparks.org/measure-z-documents
Also included in the above Annual Report is the following on Page 7 for theBREAKFAST WITH SANTA 2013 (Held December 21, 2013)

Park Services Highlights
Breakfast with Santa event was conducted at the Fire Station on Gruwell Street. Over 250 guests participated in the event. Total net revenues were $1,109.63.

During December, the Breakfast with Santa event was conducted at the Fire Station on Gruwell Street. Over 250 guests participated in the event. Total revenues were
$1,644.00, expenses were $968.75, (refer to attachment 2). The revenues were
originally recorded in the general fund and now have been transferred (except $50.00 which will be transferred at the City’s mid-year report on 2-11-2014) to the Measure Z fund, where the expenses were incurred.
The above comments are included in Agenda Item #2.1 FY 2013-14 Mid Year Report, Staff Report Discussion of January 23, 2014
Also found at http://www.cityofwildomarparks.org/measure-z-documents

On January 16, 2014 the Wildomar Rotary Club received its cut
Voucher 202951 01/16/2014 Vendor 000214 Rotary Club of Wildomar
Invoice #11314 Breakfast W/Santa Fundraiser $484.37

Even in the most current Agenda Packet for the Measure Z Oversight Advisory Committee this event has its own line and budget in the financial reports

What has happened since the first year of the Measure Z Oversight Advisory Committee’s oversight of the event called BREAKFAST WITH SANTA

BREAKFAST WITH SANTA 2014 (Held on December 13, 2014)May 28, 2015 Measure Z Oversight Advisory Committee Agenda Item #2.1
FY 2014-15 3rd Quarter Report
Page 8 of 20 shows that the city budgeted $4,200 and brought in revenue of $4,418.00. (December 2014 Breakfast with Santa)
The only expense found in found in the 3rd quarter report is Stan Argent- Breakfast with Santa 300.00

In March of 2015 the Wildomar Rotary Club received its half of the revenue generated after expenses.

According to City of Wildomar Vouchers (shown below) a total of $877.22 was spent on various supplies. The city also spent $1,177.11 on 4 Grills for community events add to that the $300 from the 3rd Quarter report above brings the total expenditures for the 2014 event to $2,354.33.

Revenue in of $4,418 minus expenses of $2,354.33 leaves $2063.67 divided by 2 gives the city of wildomar and the Wildomar Rotary Club $1,031.83
(How is it the Rotary Club received $307.16 more than the city)

If the Rotary Club received their one-half then what happened to the rest of the city’s half amounting to $606.33

BREAKFAST WITH SANTA 2016 (Held December 10, 2016)
So far there are no numbers to look at, the most recent Quarterly Report for FY16-17 shows a line item for a budget of $4,000

Will the lack of accounting and oversight continue into the New Year. With there being as many as 15 sponsors this year the money will be substantial.

The next question that needs to be asked:
If Measure Z budgets for this event, are not the revenues the property of Measure Z.
If that is so, how is it the city can spent any of this money on anything other than parks related expenses.

My notes from the evening of December 14, 2016

Public Comments

Since the beginning of the Measure Z Oversight Committee the task of accounting for the Breakfast with Santa funds has belong to the committee, according to staff, with Measure Z funds budgeted for this event and the revenue line 255-3556 Breakfast with Santa one would believe this to be true.

For the 2013 Breakfast there was a budget of $1600, the committee saw most of the invoices and receipts and the results, $1,109.63 net revenue was included in the FY13-14 Annual Report. Of this $484.37 was shared with the Rotary Club

Since that time there has been virtually no accounting of the monies budgeted, spent or brought in.

Breakfast with Santa 2014 showed that $4,200 was budgeted, in only one quarterly report (the other quarters showed nothing budgeted) but $4,218 was brought in of which $1,339.00 was shared with the Rotary Club, a single expense of $300 was recorded. These numbers got no mention in the FY 2014-15 Annual Report.

Breakfast with Santa 2015 showed that $4,000 was budgeted but the quarterly reports show no expenditures even though $1,142.08 was shared with the Rotary Club. Per our Mayor the city’s cut was to fund Emergency Radios which this city spent $535.75 for such radios, what happened to the rest of the money.

Pre-audit numbers for FY15-16 show absolutely nothing budgeted nor any actual revenue brought in. There are also no expenses recorded.

For this years Breakfast with Santa 2016 $4,000 has been budgeted, we will have to wait and see if it gets any mention at all.

Is it proper for the taxpayers of this community to assume the liability for the dead trees that exist in the parks,

This is a question posed at the last Measure Z Oversight Advisory Committee meeting of December 8, 2016

The answer was, we know about the tree at Marna O’Brien Park, it’s located in the parking lot near the baseball fields.

The explanation as to why this tree is still present was because the city needed to study how to remove the tree from the planter without harming the irrigation system.

This is a drawing I received from the city of wildoslavia which shows a single ¾ in line coming into the planter going around the planter and exiting to one additional planter.

All that time spinning a single tree, cut the tree down eliminating the hazard. Then figure out how to remove it without tearing up too much of the planter. The irrigation system can be cut coming in and going out, capped and then replaced when a new tree is put in.

All the while they missed the original question

Being as I had posed this question in the Public Comment period of the meeting with several other questions thereby using up my three minutes and per the city’s rules of engagement I was unable to ask follow-up questions or engage in conversation. I could not ask the following with emphasis on a couple of key words.

Is it proper for the taxpayers of this community to assume the liability for the dead trees that exist in the parks

Below are trees located at another of wildoslavia’s parks that are clearly dead. First picture was taken this summer and second picture was taken this week.Above photo taken June 27Above Photo taken December 12, this week

Above Photo taken August 13, 2016Above Photo taken December 12, 2016

Above Photo taken August 13, 2016Above Photo taken December 12, 2016

Above Photo taken August 13, 2016Above Photo taken December 12, 2016

Above Photo taken August 13, 2016Above Photo taken December 12, 2016

In this picture you can clearly see two of these trees were dead in March of 2015 yet they still remain in our park.Taken March 9, 2015

The notion that parks are really important to this community could not be further from the truth.

Wildomar City Officials

Looking over the calendar for upcoming meetings in the city one can’t help wondering when the Measure Z Oversight Committee is going meet again to approve the seriously delinquent “Independent Audit”.
Hint: In the past the have met on the 4th Thursday of the month which would make the next meeting take place on January 22, 2015.
Starting on January 15, 2015 two positions should have been advertised in the local newspaper as these positions are becoming vacant.

Resolution 2013-37

And added surprise to the citizens of Wildomar will be the highly esteemed Standing Committee on Parks which will be meeting on January 26, 2015 usually held at 6:30 pm at City Hall. You might hear about it around January 21st.

A fine addition to the proposed Gateway Park at Malaga and Mission Trail would be this statue.

Right on the corner under the Welcome to Wildomar Sign would be a good spot.